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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27694790">The One Unattainable Possibility</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hidden_Haven/pseuds/fireflies_in_starryskies'>fireflies_in_starryskies (Hidden_Haven)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Comfort in Mundanity [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Camp Camp (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Beta Read, Canon Compliant, David Acting as Max's Parental Figure | Dadvid (Camp Camp), Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Insecurity, NOT MAX/DAVID that's really messed up, Normalcy, Not Shippy, Oneshot, Rated T for swearing, Slice of Life, but if you've watched the show you're probably expecting that, daily life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:49:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,206</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27694790</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hidden_Haven/pseuds/fireflies_in_starryskies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A little peek into Max and David's life after David becomes Max's foster dad.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>David &amp; Max (Camp Camp)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Comfort in Mundanity [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2025415</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>142</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The One Unattainable Possibility</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The rating is for Max's language</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Max was (deliberately) standing at the back of the line. It was kinda stupid that Mrs Thomas lined everyone up to fucking <em>high-five </em>he and his classmates. They were fifth-graders, for fucks sake. </p>
<p>“Gimme a challenge, Mrs T,” some guy who spoke far too much for Max’s liking said as he reached the front of the line. Max scoffed, although no one seemed to notice. </p>
<p>“Hi, Max, have a great weekend!” </p>
<p>Max kept his face neutral. At least she didn’t force him. His fourth-grade teacher insisted on the high-five thing.</p>
<p>Max hated walking out at the end of the school day. It was so<em> crowded</em> and<em> loud</em>. It was suffocating. There were too many people, and it was too hard to find David. Max almost felt as though he’d never be able to find David; like he’d be aimlessly moving around people forever.</p>
<p>But, lo and behold, Max spotted David’s bright red hair and green pullover sweater. </p>
<p>David was talking to someone. Maybe the dean of students. She was plump and had a face that looked like it was made for smiling. Her grey hair was in a beehive updo. She and David were laughing together about something. Max paused in his steps, peering out from behind one of the ugly-ass pillars that had been painted to look like a pencil. </p>
<p>David looked happy. Stupid fuck sucked up to everyone at his school (or was that just David’s personality?). David had started volunteering at the elementary school, and then suddenly, he knew every single adult in Max’s life. <em>“Oh, Max, Mr Jackson said you haven’t been getting along with the other kids in PE!”</em> and <em>“Max, why does the librarian say you make snide comments about the books he reads to you guys?”</em>. It was honestly really annoying, but then again, David was really fucking annoying in general.</p>
<p>
  <em>But he could be worse.</em>
</p>
<p>Max tugged on David’s sleeve, scowling. </p>
<p>“Oh, hey, Max! I was just talking to Mrs Santos! She says you’re a very nice student.”</p>
<p>Max almost snorted. Just because he wasn’t a complete shit to everyone he met didn’t mean that he was a “very nice” student. Getting on <em>everybody’s</em> bad side wouldn’t do him any good.</p>
<p>Max shrugged in response.</p>
<p>“You ready to go?”</p>
<p>Max nodded.</p>
<p>David and Mrs Santos said their goodbyes, and David walked Max to his car.</p>
<p>“Didja have a good day at school?”</p>
<p>“Hah. No. Some bitch-ass named Jimmy stole my fucking pencils.”</p>
<p>“Language, Max. Did you politely ask him to give you your pencils back?”</p>
<p>Max scuffed his shoe against the yellow line on the sidewalk. “Nah. I called him an illiterate mistake and a waste of his tutor’s time and then took my pencils back.”</p>
<p>David blinked. “Well, that wasn’t very nice—"</p>
<p>“That’s the idea,” Max muttered.</p>
<p>“—but it’s good that you stood up for yourself!”</p>
<p>Max hopped over the yellow “stay behind this line” line and started walking near the edge of the sidewalk.</p>
<p>“Hey! You’re too close to the road!” a kid (one of those “<em>special</em> helper” fifth graders) shouted at him.</p>
<p>Max flipped her off.</p>
<p>She looked as though someone cursed her bloodline.</p>
<p>“<em>Max</em>,” David said, warningly. “She’s just worried about your safety!”</p>
<p>Max laughed, “Did you <em>see</em> her face, though?”</p>
<p>David sighed and unlocked the car.</p>
<p>The engine stirred to life begrudgingly. The cars in the car park were so fucking ugly. Like, really, everything in the city was already grey enough. What drove parents to see another minivan in dust grey and think<em> “Ah, yes, this is the car I want to spend thousands of dollars on”</em>. It was just a sea of grey, beige, that one dark maroon that people got when they wanted to be “adventurous”. </p>
<p><em>Their</em> car had been that maroon. Perfect leather seats. Max hadn’t been allowed in it.</p>
<p>David’s car, in contrast, was a second-hand, worn down, <em>grey</em> SUV. Not that Max was complaining. The more differences, the better. </p>
<p>“You okay with stopping by Trader Joe’s before we go home?” David asked, taking Max’s attention away from people’s shit taste in cars. “There isn’t anything to eat for dinner, so I thought I could grab the weekly groceries now instead of tonight. Of course, we can go straight home if you’re too tired!”</p>
<p>Max rolled his eyes. “I’m not gonna pass out from exhaustion, you know. Do whatever. I don’t give a shit.”</p>
<p>“Okay, but you have to come into the store with me. I can’t leave you in the car by yourself.”</p>
<p>“M’kay.” Max didn’t expect to be allowed to stay by himself anyway.</p>
<p>“It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just dangerous to be alone!”</p>
<p>“Jesus fuck David, I get it. I’ve been in stores with you before; you don’t need to give a speech. I’m not a child.” </p>
<p>Max saw David frown in the rear-view mirror. “That’s not —”</p>
<p>“I meant baby,” Max amended, noticing his mistake. “Did something happen? You’ve been acting weird. More melancholy and less . . . David-y.”</p>
<p>David sighed. “I’m sorry, Max, my head’s been in the clouds today.”</p>
<p>“Gee, what else is new.”</p>
<p>For the past three months, David had been fostering Max. But it felt different from camp. At Camp Campbell, Max knew what to expect. He could do or say whatever the hell he wanted without any consequences. But now, unease hung over every interaction Max had with David. He just couldn’t get rid of the fear that <em>David would be the same as everyone else</em>. Or maybe David would get cold feet and send him back or—or—</p>
<p>“It’s probably just the weather. It’s so <em>dreary </em>this time of year; I miss summer.” The car was moving slowly in the traffic. David shook his head a little, like a dog shaking off water. “Oh well, enough of that! Can’t change the weather, after all!”</p>
<p>Thinking about leaving David made Max’s mouth feel dry. He’d have to leave eventually, though. This was temporary. This whole arrangement was nice, but it wouldn’t last, so he couldn’t get attached.</p>
<p>Max wanted it to last.</p>
<p>“So, kiddo, what’s one good thing and one bad thing that happened today?”</p>
<p>That was David’s <em>thing</em>. Whenever Max got home from school (although they weren’t home yet), he’d have them both share “one good thing and one bad thing” about their days. It started on the first night Max stayed with him. David picked up the conversation after a rather awkward one about Max’s parents with that prompt. It was routine at this point—their boring, plain, stupid routine.</p>
<p>(Max wouldn’t have it any other way)</p>
<p>“Umm . . . one good thing is that it’s the weekend and I don’t have school for four days. One bad thing is that we have to do a project over Thanksgiving weekend. That’s just not fucking fair; what’s the point of having time off school if we have to bring school <em>home</em>?”</p>
<p>“To sharpen your mind, so you don’t forget what you’ve learnt!”</p>
<p>“Yeah, no fucking thanks, I don’t wanna do a project all about the colonisers.” Max crossed his arms. “They committed a fucking <em>genocide,</em> and everyone’s just like <em>oh, the Native Americans and the Settlers had a great meal together</em>! I hate it, and I won’t do it.”</p>
<p>“Hmm . . .” David tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. “Do your project on Native American history then!”</p>
<p>“That’s not allowed; I’m supposed to do the accomplishments of a colonial guy.”</p>
<p>“It’d be better than <em>not</em> doing the project.”</p>
<p>“Wait, David. David, David, are you<em> encouraging</em> me to <em>break</em> the rules?”</p>
<p>“You seem really passionate about this subject! I’m just trying to encourage you to pursue what you enjoy!”</p>
<p>“What if the stuff I enjoy goes against the rules?”</p>
<p>“Then I’d encourage you to think about why that rule is in place, and to use your better judgement to decide if you should go against it,” David said. “<em>Within reason</em>, of course,” he added quickly.”</p>
<p>“Damn. I thought you were the guy who never questioned authority.” Max was vaguely impressed that David wasn’t a complete gullible fool. Well, he was still a gullible fool. But maybe there was a <em>hint </em>of common sense in his head (the voice of reason in David’s head was probably drowned out by camp songs). </p>
<p>“Mhm! But only when it’s justifiable authority.”</p>
<p>“That’s not a good thing.”</p>
<p>David parked the car on the side of the road. Max flinched when it hit the curb.</p>
<p>“Wow, you’re shit at parallel parking,” he commented.</p>
<p>“Practice makes progress!” David pulled the keys out of the car.</p>
<p>That was another thing about David, he never said: “practice makes perfect”. Max had brought up how <em>stupid</em> he sounded a couple of times, but David would go on a mini-speech about how perfection was impossible to achieve and a horrible expectation to set. So, Max just lived with a slightly modified version. </p>
<p>Max stretched and stepped out into the biting November air. At first, he was kind of surprised that David chose to live in Portland. When Max used to envision where David lived, he pictured a <em>Little House in the Big Woods</em>-esque wooden cabin the middle of nowhere. Not that Max was complaining about that, though. Being in nature (or, god forbid, the suburbs) made him anxious. It was just too empty. Something about being surrounded by tall buildings made Max feel comforted and safe. Even though it was really fucking stupid, considering the crime rates.</p>
<p>Max gave a little sigh as he walked into the warm air of the grocery store.</p>
<p>“Guess what?” David said as he picked out a bag of baby carrots.</p>
<p>“What?” Max took off his backpack and tossed it into the bright-red trolley.</p>
<p>“They’ve started hiding a stuffed sloth somewhere in the store! If you find it, the guy over by the samples section will give you a lollipop or a cookie!”</p>
<p>Max snorted. “That’s dumb. It’s just a thinly-veiled ploy to sell more shit.”</p>
<p>“Aw come on, it’d be fun!”</p>
<p>“<em>You</em> can look for the sloth.”</p>
<p>To be honest, Max was kind of worried about David. Ever since he took Max in, he seemed more tired. The bags under his eyes became more prominent every day. Max wasn’t an idiot. He knew it was his fault. Sometimes Max sat alone in the corner next to his wardrobe and wondered why he couldn’t be better. Max <em>knew</em> that he should be a more “agreeable” kid, but he just . . . couldn’t? Time and time again, Max went against what David asked him to do, or would disappoint him in some way (David acted like he wasn’t disappointed, but he was. He had to be). Max would wonder, why did he keep acting like such a shit? He should be taking advantage of David’s patience, not whittling it away. In due time, David would realise that Max was just a burden, taking all his time and money. And that time was creeping closer and closer with each of Max’s demeaning—</p>
<p>“I found it!” David said, pointing at a floppy looking stuffed sloth perched on the <em>99¢ </em>sign. </p>
<p>Max stared into the beady, soulless eyes of the sloth. “Wow. That is such a shitty hiding place.”</p>
<p>“Do you want to get a piece of candy?”</p>
<p>“<em>No</em>.”</p>
<p>Max wasn’t worth the fostering classes. He wasn’t worth the parenting books and the patience and the care and everything David did to make him feel welcome. He didn’t fucking deserve it.</p>
<p>“Suit yourself! But if you change your mind—” He pointed towards the little stand that gave out samples and tiny coffees “—it’s right over there!”</p>
<p>Max shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. Maybe on a different day, he’d wander around the store or steal some of the free coffee, but today, he didn’t want to be by himself. So, he stood around as David got all the items on his list. Max watched him make small talk with the cashier and put the groceries in his reusable tote bag (“it’s the most eco-friendly option!”). </p>
<p>Outside, the sun had set already, and the sky was deep indigo. Max yawned.</p>
<p>“Ready to go home?” David asked as the car doors unlocked with a <em>click</em>.</p>
<p>Max didn’t consider the apartment home. David’s apartment was David’s and only David’s. He paid for it, his name was on the lease, and he was the one that washed the sheets, cleaned the dishes and cooked. Max was just a glorified guest. </p>
<p>Max feared the apartment turning into <em>home</em>. It would only hurt him more when he had to go. The jack-o’-lantern that David never threw out, the cabinet in the bathroom that didn’t shut all the way, and the smell of laundry detergent (instead of cigarette smoke) were slowly becoming more familiar. And that was fucking terrifying. What was even more frightening, though, was that whenever Max looked at David, he felt like it would be okay. Like it was safe to get comfortable and let his guard down.</p>
<p>Fuck David for caring. It was easier to lose something Max never had, but when David left him, he would have to cope with the fact that it was possible to have a warm and happy life.</p>
<p>It just wasn’t possible for <em>Max</em>.</p>
<p>“Yeah. Let’s go.”</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>APRIL 2021:<br/>So @art_by_adrii made this <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNAzJVqp1hE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">beautiful drawing of David and Max at Trader Joe's</a> and you should go check out their art!!<br/>-</p>
<p>Hello!! Wow it's been a few months since I've written a dadvid fic. I hope you like it! I sure enjoyed writing it<br/>Fun fact: when I was about ten, my Trader Joe's started hiding a sasquatch in their store. If you told the people at the sample stand where the sasquatch was hidden, they'd give you a lolly or a cookie. I changed it to a sloth for this story because the sasquatch is a very Washingtonian thing imo<br/>but yeah thanks for reading if you're still here! I got some super nice comments on the last camp camp fic I wrote and that motivated me a ton. The people who leave comments on fanfiction are the sweetest; I hope you guys know how much you encourage authors with your kind words! 🥺💖💖</p></blockquote></div></div>
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